COLA
Dealing with inflation in retirement–COLAs are likely not the answer
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2025 was 2.5%, and it appears likely to be in that same range for 2026. Recent media accounts of CPI changes suggest a slight upswing, but that remains to be seen after the…
Changes in data collection could affect 2026 COLA calculation
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently eliminated three cities from the data sampling used to calculate its inflation numbers. Is this a big deal, and could it affect the calculation of Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 (and beyond)? According…
The Social Security Board of Trustees’ 2026 COLA estimate
The annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) calculation uses the data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the third quarter of the year, specifically the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) readings from July through…
Will the 2026 COLA be accurate?
How the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits is calculated is not as straightforward as you may think. First, they only use the data from the third quarter of the year, specifically the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage…
Tariffs, Inflation, and Social Security’s COLAs: An Entanglement with Potential Impact on Seniors
While the tariff wars unfold on the world stage, economists are busy developing forecasts of the relationship between import/export fees and inflation, with opinions leaning toward likely increases in consumer prices. And consumer prices–the money we all spend on goods…
Article Paints a Bleak Picture for Social Security Beneficiaries
The issue of Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLAs) not being able to keep seniors abreast with inflation is a frequent topic of discussion in the media. The Motley Fool’s Katie Brockman adds to the rhetoric on this matter with…
2026 Social Security Changes
Social Security has been around for 90 years. While the basic premise remains, some figures change each year. For example, there is almost always a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). Other changes include the maximum monthly benefit, wage cap and…
Estimated COLA information
The Cost of Living Adjustment is an automatic annual boost to Social Security and other federal benefits. It’s calculated based on the inflation rate this year as compared to last year for July to September. Since the amount of the…
Will Social Security Disappear?
Well, no – it will not. But there is the problem that Social Security’s annual cost is more than the income it receives from working Americans, and income taxes on SS benefits, and interest from reserves held in the Social…
Another 2026 COLA prediction
With the start of the summer season, many financial experts are reviewing the inflation data to make an early prediction on the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026. But, the only months that factor into the COLA calculation are those in…